Lomachenko Feels Spence Beats Garcia

WBA Lightweight Champion Vasyl Lomachenko returns to The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on Dec. 8, set to face WBO champion Jose Pedraza in a title unification bout.

After winning titles at featherweight and super featherweight, Lomachenko stepped up to lightweight in his most recent bout, defeating Jorge Linares via 10th-round TKO to win the title in front of the MSG crowd. Some feel that if Lomachenko was able to get by Linares, who managed to score a knockdown in the May title fight, then “Loma” should make easy work of Pedraza.

But Lomachenko feels those critics are selling the WBO champion short.

“I think Linares is better and more aggressive than Pedraza but he’s not simple like all people say,” said Lomachenko. “He understands what to do in the ring. He has good defense and good timing. I need to check and feel what he can do in the ring. After that, I can answer but it’s not going to be easy like they all say.”

Lomachenko, who is ranked the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has also been linked throughout 2018 with the current No. 7 ranked pound-for-pound fighter, WBC Lightweight Champion Mikey Garcia. Garcia, who has won championships in multiple weight divisions as well, won the IBF Title from Robert Easter Jr. back in July but vacated the title to step up to welterweight and challenge the IBF champion in that weight class, fellow unbeaten fighter Errol Spence Jr.

The title fight between Garcia and Spence is set for March 16 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. And if one were to ask Lomachenko, he feels the weight jump, in this case, will be too much for Garcia to handle.

“It’s his choice,” Lomachenko said. “He’s very strong and skilled and sure… it’s a big step. If you understand the boxing, I don’t like it. I don’t think he can win but I will care and root for him.”